Challenge course for children

ABSTRACT

A challenge course for having a height from the platform to the track that allows a child or person about  3  feet or  4  feet tall to grab a lanyard and control a tracking member being displaced in a track. The obstacle having sizes and distances that prevent children&#39;s feet from falling in between boards of the obstacle.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 113/463,012 filed on 7 Nov. 2011, titled CHALLENGE COURSE FOR CHILDREN, and a non-provisional patent application filed on 7 Nov. 2012.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an apparatus in which participants, specifically children, are challenged to walk or scale various elements while elevated above the ground, which can test the participant's skills such as confidence or group problem solving.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Challenge courses are structures that allow a person or team to challenge themselves by participating in various events such as walking along swinging ropes or planks, at elevated heights. These courses are also used to train military personnel. These courses are also used at recreational parks or other such centers that have go-carts and miniature golf.

The invention is an elevated adventure course, or elevated challenge course that can be placed so as to enable children users to traverse above ground and traverse in an arbitrary and varied path. As the children are using the challenge course, parents or guardians of the children can walk at ground level and walk with the children, or hold hands, and interact with children while the child is traversing the challenge course for children.

The challenge courses in the prior art are generally accommodating only for adults, by reason of the height between the track and the participant's walking height, and there is no walk-through openings in the prior art.

Moreover the prior art does not include challenge courses for children, that include features such as a shorter distance from the location where the users feet would be standing or walking on, to the track, the capability to have a parent or guardian walk side by side or hold hands with the child while the child is using the challenge course and its elements and obstacles.

There exists a need for an adventure course specifically designed for children with the features, utility, and structure of the present invention.

There also exists a need for a challenge course that has a safety system being sized for smaller people and not being able to be used by larger people or people over a certain size or height.

There is a need for a challenge course that has true age or height appropriate sizing.

Multiple embodiments of the system are disclosed herein. It will be understood that other objects and purposes of the invention, and variations thereof, will be apparent upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention is a challenge course for children (10), comprising: a track (70); a platform (60) disposed downwardly from said track at a distance to accommodate a child as the child traverses the challenger course for children (10); an walk through opening (30) to allow parents of children using the challenge course for children (10) to move from an outside area (90) outside of the challenger course for children (10) to an inside area (100) inside the challenge course for children (10).

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another pictorial view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is another pictorial view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is another pictorial view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is another pictorial view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is another pictorial view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a standard adult sized challenge course;

FIG. 8 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is pictorial view of an embodiment of the lanyard of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a pictorial view of an embodiment of a tracking member and lanyard of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a pictorial view of the sheath and strap that make up the lanyard.

FIG. 12 is a pictorial view of a child using the system.

Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience and reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, the words “upwardly,” “downwardly,” “rightwardly,” and “leftwardly” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the system and designated parts. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives, and similar words.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference Numerals List

10 challenge course for children

20 distance from track to feet

30 walk through opening

40 entrance-exit means

50 obstacle

60 platform

70 track

80 discontinuous obstacle

90 outside area

100 inside area

110 lanyard

120 gate

130 boards

140 pole

150 sheath

160 padding

170 adult sized challenge course

180 strap of lanyard

190 height of child

200 tracking member

210 harness

220 ground to feet distance

230 platform diameter

240 stiffening means

250 fourth strap

260 platform to obstacle distance

270 distance from platform to track of standard adult sized challenge course.

280 distance between boards

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a challenge course for children 10 is illustrated. The challenge course for children 10 may include an obstacle 50 for the child user to walk on. The obstacles 50 may be a discontinuous obstacle 80, to define a walk through opening 30. The walk through opening 30 allows the child to traverse the discontinuous obstacle 80 and an adult or taller person may walk at ground level from an outside area 90 through the walk through area 30 to an inside area 100. Or, alternatively, the child and parent may walk through the inside area 100 through the walk through opening 30 to the outside area 90.

FIGS. 1 and 2 also illustrate a distance from the track to the user's feet 20. This distance 20 may also be the same as the distance 20 from the track 70 to a platform 60 or where one would place their feet on an obstacle 50.

In one embodiment, this distance 20 is adjustable via adjusting the height of the obstacle 50 or platform 60. This may be done manually with a locking pin arrangement, or via the use of pneumatic or hydraulic pumps.

In one embodiment the distance 20 may be about 54 inches. As an example the separation from the track and where one would place their feet on a standard challenge course may be about 7 feet and 2 inches.

In one embodiment the ground to feet distance 220 may be about 32 inches as illustrated in FIG. 1. Whereas a standard challenge course used by adults may be about 12 feet from the ground to the platform or element on which the person stands.

The user may start using the challenge course 10 by wearing a harness 210, and then attach the harness 210 to the track 70 via a lanyard 110, rope, cable, or similar means. This may be done before the user enters the entrance-exit means 40. The entrance-exit means 40 may be a stairway with an overhead track 70. The user may ascend the stairway 40 while already secured to the track 70, to attain the height needed to start to traverse the challenge course for children 10. The stairway 40 may have no side rails, which allow the child to hold a parent's hand as ascending or descending the entrance-exit means 40. The child may continue to hold a parent's hand when traversing the entire walking area and the entrance-exit means 40.

FIG. 1 also illustrates an embodiment where a pole 140 may have padding 160 secured thereto. A pole 140 may have a pad 150 secured thereto to provide a soft contact surface should the child fall head first into the pad 150.

Because the distance 20 from the track to the feet is about 54 inches, this allows a child that may be about 3 feet or about 4 feet high, to grab the lanyard 110 near the tracking member 200 to dislodge the tracking member 200 if it is stuck or otherwise needs to be moved. In the standard size course, this distance would be about 7 feet and 2 inches, and a child or person about 3 or about 4 feet high would have more difficulty moving a tracking member 200 because they could not reach the lanyard near the tracking member.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 a platform 60 may have a platform diameter of about 30 inches or less so that a parent or adult guardian can stand close enough to the child to either hold the child's hand or move the lanyard 110 being used by the child.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention 10 having a track 70 that has an outside configuration of a triangle. FIG. 4 also illustrates an embodiment where the obstacle 50 that the child may walk on may also have a gate 120 that car raise upwardly on one side so a parent or adult guardian can walk through the opening that is created when the gate 120 is lifted up. The gate 120 can then be closed so the child can walk on the gate 120, which may make up part of an obstacle 50.

FIG. 4 also illustrates one embodiment wherein a platform 60 to obstacle 50 maximum distance 260 may be 6 inches so the child can look down and see where they have to place their foot at the next step. An obstacle 50 may have a plurality of boards 130 on which the child may step across. The boards 130 may hang loosely from a rope or similarly functioning substantially vertical member. The boards 130 may have a distance between boards 130 of 1.5 inches or less so the feet or shoes do not get trapped between the boards 130.

FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention 10 wherein the challenge course for children 10 may be connected to a standard or adult sized challenge course 170.

FIG. 7 illustrates a 3 to 4 foot tall child standing on an adult sized challenge course 170. The tracking member 200 is such a height from where the child can grab, that the child can grab the lanyard 110, but the flexibility of the lanyard 110 would typically not sufficient force on the tracking member 200 to move it if it becomes stuck or to change directions when the child encounter an intersection of the track 70 where the user can select more than one direction of travel

FIG. 8 illustrates a 3 to 4 foot tall child standing on the present invention 10. Here, it can be seen that the child may grab the lanyard 110 near the tracking member 200 to dislodge or move the tracking member 200 should it be stuck, or in the case where there is an intersection, and the child wants to select one of two or more directions of travel. FIG. 8 also illustrates an embodiment where the obstacle 50 that the child may walk on may also have a gate 120 that car raise upwardly on one side so a parent or adult guardian can walk through the opening that is created when the gate 120 is lifted up. The gate 120 can then be closed so the child can walk on the gate 120, which may make up part of an obstacle 50.

FIG. 9 illustrates one embodiment of the harness 210 of the present invention 10. The lanyard 110 may have a strap 180 attached at one end to a tracking member 200, and at the other to a harness 210. The lanyard 110 may be made from nylon. The lanyard 100 may have a sheath 150 disposed around the lanyard 110 to provide a stiffening means 240. The lanyard 110 may be comprised of two straps 180 as seen in FIG. 9. The two traps 180 may be movably or fixedly disposed within a sheath 150.

FIG. 10 illustrates the lanyard 110 connected to a tracking member 200.

FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment of the lanyard 110. In this embodiment the strap 180 may be made from nylon safety webbing. The lanyard 110 may have three straps 180 or it may be folded over to create three layers that may be disposed near a fourth strap 250. The straps 180 may have stitching thereon, or the straps 180 may be stitched or glued or otherwise secured to each other. The stitching may provide a stiffening means 240.

The strap 180 may be made from nylon slotted webbing to provide for multiple areas for attachment. The strap 180 may be about one inch in width.

In one embodiment the sheath 150 may be made from cordova cover, and it may be about 2 feet in length.

All four straps 180, 250 may be movably or fixedly disposed within a sheath 150, to create a stiffening means 240. The stiffening means 240 allows the user to move the tracking member 200 easier than it could move with a lanyard 110 having a single strap 180.

The sheath 150 may be sewn or otherwise fixedly disposed on the strap 180.

Platform 60 may be 30 inches or less to allow a parent or adult guardian to stand closer to the child for purposes of holding the child's hand or moving the lanyard 110 being used by the child.

Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been discussed in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus, including the rearrangement of parts, lie within the scope of the present invention. 

I claim:
 1. A challenge course for children (10), comprising: a track (70); and a platform (60) disposed downwardly from said track at a distance to accommodate a child as the child traverses the challenge course for children (10).
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a distance from said platform (60) to said track (70) of about 54 inches.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the platform (60) is about 32 inches above ground level.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the platform (60) has a diameter of about 30 inches.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an adult when standing on the ground can grab a lanyard (110) that is connected at one end to a tracking member (200) movably disposed within said track (70), and said lanyard (110) is connected at another end to a harness (210) that is being worn by a child, when the child is standing on said platform (60).
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an adult when standing on the ground can grab a lanyard (110) that is connected at one end to a tracking member (200) movably disposed within said track (70), and said lanyard (110) is connected at another end to a harness (210) that is being worn by a child when the child is standing on an obstacle (50).
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a discontinuous obstacle (80) adjacent to said platform (60).
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an obstacle (50) having a gate (120).
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, whereby said challenge course for children (10) is adjacent a regular size challenge course.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, whereby a child can dislodge a stuck tracking member (200) that is within said track (70) by moving a lanyard (110) with the child's hand.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a walk through opening (30) to allow parents of children using the challenge course for children (10) to move from an outside area (90) outside of the challenger course for children (10) to an inside area (100) inside the challenge course for children (10).
 12. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said lanyard (110) is a strap (180) attached at one end to said tracking member (200) and at the other to said harness (210).
 13. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said lanyard (110) has a sheath (150) that is about 2 feet long fixedly disposed around said lanyard (110) to provide a stiffening means (240).
 14. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said lanyard (110) is comprised of two straps (180) having a sheath (150) fixedly secured to said straps (180) and a child can grab the sheath (150).
 15. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the straps (180) are made from nylon safety webbing
 16. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said lanyard (110) is a plurality of straps (180), at least one of said strap (180) having stitching thereon to increase its stiffness.
 17. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said lanyard (110) is comprised of a strap a (180) that is folded over and secured to itself for a distance of about two feet to increase its stiffness.
 18. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said lanyard (110) is made from a strap (180) and said strap is folded over to create three layers adjacent to one another and disposed near a fourth strap (250), at least one of said straps (180) having stitching thereon to increase said straps stiffness, and said strap (180) may be made from nylon slotted webbing, said strap (180) about one inch wide, and a sheath (150) fixedly disposed around said strap (180) and said fourth strap (250), said sheath (150) about two feet long, said strap (180), fourth strap (250) and sheath (150) create a stiffening means (240) to allow the user to move the tracking member (200) easier than it could be moved with a lanyard (110) made from a single strap (180).
 19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an obstacle (50) disposed adjacent to said platform (60) having a plurality of boards (130) on which the child may step across, said boards (130) having a distance between said boards (280) of 1.5 inches or less so the feet or shoes do not get trapped between the boards (130). 